NLL Weekend: Colorado Aims at Last Spot

The third and final playoff berth in the NLL West hangs in the
balance and second place in the NLL East remains up for grabs in
the second-last weekend of the 18-game regular season. The matchups
(all times EDT):

FRIDAY

BUFFALO (8-7) at TORONTO (7-9), 7 p.m.

This will be the third and final regular-season meeting. Buffalo
won the previous two by identical 12-10 scores, both at home. If
Buffalo wins, it locks up second place in the NLL East. If Toronto
wins, it retains hope of sneaking into second place. For that to
happen, the Rock would have to win their schedule-closing game in
Minnesota on April 26 and have the Bandits drop both games of a
home-and-home set with Rochester.

Regardless, this will be a preview of the first-round playoff
meeting.

''Both teams no each other so well,'' Bandits GM Steve Dietrich
said during the league's weekly conference call Wednesday. ''We
both know we're playing each other in the playoffs so it comes down
to who gets to host.''

Buffalo, coming off a 10-9 loss in Minnesota, has lost five in a
row since its last win back on March 15.

''It's been ugly the last little while, no doubt about that,''
Dietrich said.

''The guys are still positive,'' said transition player Mitch
Wilde. ''The guys still believe in themselves.''

Toronto clinched a playoff berth with a 10-9 home win over
Philadelphia last Saturday.

''We played a great game in many areas,'' said Rock head coach
John Lovell.

''It was great to get our ticket punched and put that to rest,''
said captain Colin Doyle. ''Moving forward, (Buffalo) is a team we
haven't beaten yet . . . and it's important for us to know we can
beat them. A win this week does a lot of good things for us.''

Buffalo rested captain John Tavares last weekend but ''he'll be
ready to go on Friday night,'' said Dietrich.

Doyle and his teammates coped well last Saturday in their first
game without league scoring leader Garrett Billings, who tore his
ACL in his right knee the previous weekend. They'll miss him but
have to move on.

''If we're going to make any noise down the stretch, we're going
to have to do it without him,'' said Doyle. ''We really believe we
can do this without him.''

SATURDAY

BUFFALO at ROCHESTER (12-4), 7:30 p.m.

These teams split two earlier games, with Buffalo winning 11-10
at home on Jan. 25 and Rochester winning 9-6 at home Feb. 8.
Rochester, 10-7 winner at home over Vancouver last Saturday, has
won three in a row and seven of its last eight to clinch first
place in the NLL East. Coach Mike Hasen will make sure complacency
does not set in.

''Buffalo coming into our rink is motivation enough,'' says
Hasen. ''We need to tighten down a few things and everybody in our
dressing room knows that.''

''It's a huge rivalry game for us,'' said Rochester D-man Scott
Self. ''It's our last home game of the season and we definitely
want to put on a show for our fans. We'll be ready to play
playoff-style lacrosse.''

If the Bandits win in Toronto to clinch second place this game
will have no impact on anything. If the Bandits lose in Toronto,
they'll need to win this one or their schedule-closing home game
against Rochester the following weekend to assure themselves of
second place and home floor for the division semifinal.

A flu is going through the roster, said Dietrich, so he's unsure
what the lineup will look like this weekend.

''We had a bunch of guys sick (Tuesday night) and who had to
leave practise early,'' said Dietrich.

The Knighthawks' Cody Jamieson is six points shy of taking over
the league scoring lead and you know his teammates want to see that
happen.

CALGARY (10-6) at EDMONTON (15-1), 9 p.m.

Edmonton has already beaten Calgary three times: 15-8 on Jan.
17, 15-7 on March 14 and 15-11 last Saturday. The Rush will want to
make it four in a row to retain a psychological advantage heading
into the playoffs, while the Roughnecks will gain a mental boost if
they can end the domination. So, this is an important game for both
teams even though the result will not alter the standings. They're
locked in 1-2 in the NLL West.

Edmonton GM-coach Derek Keenan was impressed with how his
players bounced back to win in Calgary after losing its first of
the year in Denver the previous night, and he'll keep pressing them
to improve.

''There's a number of areas we have to be better,'' says
Keenan.

''We're looking to finish the season strong,'' said goaltender
Aaron Bold.

Calgary coach Curt Malawsky took solace in the fact the
Roughnecks came close to beating Edmonton last weekend.

''We got better from the first two games we played them,'' said
Malawsky.

Edmonton-Calgary was a one-sided rivalry for years _ in
Calgary's favor.

''It's always been a battle over the years and now the shoe is
on the other foot,'' said Malawsky. ''We're representing southern
Alberta and we want to go up there and show we can grab a couple of
points.''

''We've both locked up playoff positions but I don't think the
intensity is going to drop Saturday,'' said Bold.

''We had a great crowd in Calgary last week and I hope Edmonton
can follow up on that,'' said Roughnecks faceoff specialist Geoff
Snider.

COLORADO (6-10) at MINNESOTA (4-12), 8 p.m.

Colorado clinches a playoff spot with a win. Minnesota can't
qualify but the Swarm beat Buffalo 10-9 at home last weekend and is
hot to trot to get another W for its faithful fans.

''There is some light at the end of the tunnel and it's a pretty
big light,'' says coach Joe Sullivan. ''We've worked very, very
hard and our record is not indicative of that. Our play of late
definitely is . . . we're going to prepare as hard and as strong as
we have all year. Colorado as a good team and deserves to be in the
playoffs but hopefully we can give them a run for their money this
weekend.''

''We want to give our fans a good closing to the season,'' said
forward Kiel Matisz.

This is the second of two. The Mammoth beat the Swarm 14-12 in
Denver on Feb. 1.

''That was very early in the year and we had a lot of new people
to try and mesh in (to the lineup),'' said Sullivan. ''We're
starting to play with confidence . . . that's all we can dwell on
now _ where we're going to and not where we've been.''

If Colorado loses, it can still finish third in the NL West by
winning its schedule closer April 26 at Philadelphia, or if
last-place Vancouver loses any of its three remaining games. But
John Grant Jr. and Co. don't want to back in. They want to win
their way in. Their confidence rose when they handed Edmonton its
first loss, 10-8, last Friday.

''It was fan appreciation night so it was a good time to put it
together,'' said interim coach Dan Stroup. ''The guys know they can
play with any team in the league when they play like that.''

Now they've got their destiny in their own hands.

''That's what we all play for _ to get to the playoffs,'' said
Stroup. ''We just have to go out and play the same type of game as
last week, win one, and go from there.''

Colorado's Dillon Ward is just a rookie but has been playing
like a veteran goaltender..

''We're happy that he's found his game right near the end of the
season when we need it,'' said Stroup. ''The defense in front of
him has picked up also.''

PHILADELPHIA (5-11) at VANCOUVER (4-11), 10 p.m.

Philadelphia's 10-9 loss in Toronto last Saturday eliminated it
from playoff contention so pride is the only thing the Wings will
be playing for.

''We'll try to put our best foot forward,'' said assistant coach
Jim Milligan. ''We have a good locker room and the guys will want
to finish off on a positive note.''

The only way Vancouver can make it into the post-season is if it
wins this one as well as its last two, and Colorado blows its last
two. Chances are not just slim, they are 1 in 100. They have to
play in Edmonton after this one then face Calgary at home in their
closer.

''We can't do anything more than just try to win a game,'' says
Stealth coach Chris Hall.

Defenseman Matt Beers hasn't lost hope.

''We still have a shot,'' he said. ''We'll prepare for Philly
and hope for the best.''

Vancouver lost 15-9 at Philadelphia on Feb. 1. That's ancient
history now. What is much more relevant is that No. 1 Stealth
goalie Tyler Richards was unable to play when his team lost 10-7 in
Rochester last Saturday, and his availability this weekend is up in
the air.

''He's still nursing an injury,'' Hall said. ''He's a
possibility but we won't really know until Friday at practise to
see if he can go.'